England have confirmed they will face Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy match scheduled for February 26 in Lahore, despite British politicians urging for a boycott.
The England and Wales Cricket Board made this decision after discussions with the UK government, ICC, and England players, despite over 160 British politicians calling for the match to be cancelled.
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The boycott calls stemmed from the Taliban regime’s ban on female sports participation since their return to power in 2021, which violates ICC regulations. However, the men’s team is still permitted to compete.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson said: “We remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match.”
He further added: “We have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture.”
Afghanistan have shown significant improvement in limited-overs cricket, currently ranked eighth in ODI rankings, just below England who are seventh.
The tournament will take place from February 19 to March 9 across Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Both teams are placed in Group B alongside Australia and South Africa in this 50-over competition.